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Namibia Wants Stronger Ties With Russia

WINDHOEK, Namibia, January 29, 2016 (New Era) — As the world becomes more intertwined, Namibia has underscored the importance of cementing its long-standing relations with global powerhouse Russia.

Government reiterated that the continued strengthening of ties between the two countries should be championed and that the two should continue working together in areas of common interest.

Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila during a meeting on Wednesday with Namibia's Ambassador to Russia, Ndali Che Kamati, said Namibia should place emphasis on critical areas such as economic growth.

The two countries have a long-standing education agreement which has seen hundreds of Namibian students passing through the Russian education system.

There are currently 850 Namibian students studying in Russia.

"The youth should embrace the opportunity to study in Russia so that they can improve their employability," she said.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said Namibia should also emulate and learn from Russia's high-level technological development.

Kamati said the two countries have a common internatonal agenda and that the foreign policies of the two countries coincide in many ways.

"We often hold political consultations to coordinate stances on international issues," he said.

Kamati said there is huge interest by Russian investors in Namibian mining and fisheries.

Kamati said Russians are also willing to invest in rehabilitating the dilapidated Namibian railway system, which needs at least N$4 billion for an overhaul.

He said proposals were forwarded to his office for the joint construction of deep-sea trawlers.

"We [Namibia] have not been exhausting our international quota, and as you know we risk losing it because we do not maximize it," he said.

As for Namibian students studying in Russia Kamati said most students are performing well in their studies.

"The majority of the students are doing very well, but there are those that misbehave. Last year two of our students were expelled from the universities where they were studying because of performance related issues," he said.